The invention relates to a process for transmitting phone book data from a mobile telephone to an external device and to the correspondingly equipped external device, particularly a hands-free telephone device of a motor vehicle or a control device in a motor vehicle.
In recent years, the continued rapid spread of mobile communication technology has resulted in, among other things, the development and availability of motor vehicle hands-free telephone devices which interact with mobile telephones. In this case, hands-free telephone devices of motor vehicles are considered to be particularly advanced which interact and communicate in a cordless manner, especially based on the so-called Bluetooth standard, with a mobile telephone situated particularly in the vehicle or in the proximity of the vehicle.
For this purpose, it is known that a hands-free telephone device of a motor vehicle automatically establishes a Bluetooth connection to a mobile telephone assigned to the hands-free telephone device of the motor vehicle or vice versa, as soon as the mobile telephone is within the range of the motor vehicle hands-free telephone device or vice-versa. The mobile telephone and the motor vehicle hands-free telephone device can then exchange data by way of the Bluetooth connection. By the exchange of voice data, the voice communication based on the motor vehicle hands-free telephone device and the mobile telephone can then be implemented by way of a mobile communication system. By the exchange of control data, the control of the mobile telephone can be implemented by way of a user interface of a motor vehicle.
A special manner of accessing electronic phone books of mobile telephones via a hands-free telephone device of a motor vehicle and their subsequent processing is known from WO 2006074345 A1. In the case of such an access, compatibility problems may still occur which, at least partly, can be eliminated by means of the interface description, the so-called Phone Book Access
Profile PBAP, has recently been provided by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). However, for an implementation of the PBAP in motor vehicle hands-free telephone devices, it has to be taken into account that the motor vehicle hands-free telephone devices can continue to also access electronic phone books of mobile telephones, which do not yet have an implementation of the PBAP.
There is therefore needed an improved process and device for interacting between a mobile telephone and an external device, such as a hands-free telephone device of a motor vehicle.
This and other needs are met by a process for transmitting phone book data from a mobile telephone to an external device, wherein a Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) is established between the mobile telephone and the external device. Based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), as the first Bluetooth service, a Bluetooth telephony service (HFP) is established, and a transmission of phone book data from the mobile phone to the external device is initiated based on one of at least two predetermined manners of access (PBAP, ATC). Advantageous further developments of the invention are described herein.
The invention is based on the following recognitions:
(1) there are mobile telephones having a Bluetooth interface (single channel) which are incapable of implementing more than one Bluetooth service by way of a Bluetooth communication channel;
(2) there are mobile telephones having a Bluetooth interface (multi-channel) which are capable of implementing more than one Bluetooth service by way of a Bluetooth communication channel;
(3) there are mobile telephones having a Bluetooth interface whose phone book data can be accessed based on a first manner of access, particularly a mobile-telephone-type-specific manner of access and/or a manner of access using AT commands (the AT commands, for example, are implemented as specified by the mobile telephone manufacturer);
(4) there are mobile telephones having a Bluetooth interface whose phone book data can be accessed based on a second manner of access, particularly a Bluetooth-specific manner of access;
(5) there are mobile telephones having a Bluetooth interface whose phone book data can be accessed based on a first manner of access, particularly a mobile-telephone-type-specific manner of access and/or a manner of access using AT commands, or based on a second manner of access, particularly a Bluetooth-specific manner of access;
(6) the implementation of the second manner of access is based on a Bluetooth service, is a Bluetooth service, or requires its own Bluetooth service; and
(7) the implementation of a Bluetooth telephony service is based on a Bluetooth service, is a Bluetooth service, or requires its own Bluetooth service.
While utilizing and linking these recognitions, the invention is now particularly based on the idea of permitting a mobile telephone user in a vehicle having a hands-free telephone device to reliably and rapidly telephone in high-priority cases and of permitting access to phone book data by way of the hands-free telephone device in low-priority cases. This is preferably achieved in that, independently of the capabilities of the mobile telephone, after the establishment of a Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) between the mobile telephone and an external device, particularly a hands-free telephone device, based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), a Bluetooth telephony service (HFP; Bluetooth Hands-Free Profile) is established as a first Bluetooth service, particularly for the call handling. This ensures that, independently of the capabilities of the mobile telephone, a call with the mobile telephone by way of an external device, particularly a hands-free telephone device, becomes possible in a rapid and reliable manner.
In order to now, also independently of the capabilities of the mobile telephone, rapidly and reliably permit access to phone book data of the mobile telephone by way of an external device, particularly a hands-free telephone device, preferably a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device is initiated based on one of at least two predetermined manners of access (PBAP, Phone Book Access Profile; ATC, AT Commands). In this case, preferably, the first manner of access (ATC) can be implemented based on the Bluetooth telephony service (HFP), and the second manner of access (PBAP) can be implemented based on a second Bluetooth Service or as a second Bluetooth service (PBAP). As a result, it is ensured that phone book data of different types of mobile telephones can be rapidly and reliably accessed irrespective of whether the Bluetooth interface of the mobile telephone type allows or governs the access based on a first manner of access, on a second manner of access, or on both manners of access.
A preferred embodiment provides that, based on the Bluetooth telephony service (HFP), first a transmission of phone book data based on a first manner of access (ATC) is initiated from the mobile telephone to the external device, particularly subsequent to a successful establishment of the Bluetooth telephony service (HFP). In this case, the first manner of access is preferably implemented specifically with respect to the mobile telephone type and/or is based on AT commands.
As a result, after the prioritized implementation of a telephony service, phone book data of different mobile telephone types whose Bluetooth interface is compatible with the first manner of access (ATC), can be reliably accessed in a proven and frequently tested manner, in particular, based on AT commands.
Preferably, it is only attempted to establish a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) when a transmission of phone book data based on a first manner of access (ATC) from the mobile telephone to the external device fails. This second Bluetooth service, which can be established particularly in the case of multi-channel-capable mobile telephones, will then preferably be utilized for the transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device. Particularly in this case, a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device based on a second manner of access (PBAP) will be initiated when the attempt to establish a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) is successful. In this case, the second manner of access (PBAP) can use or determine the second Bluetooth service. For example, the second manner of access (PBAP) may also be the second Bluetooth service, and the attempt to establish a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) may be an attempt to, based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), initiate a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device based on the second manner of access (PBAP).
As a result, it is achieved that also phone book data of mobile telephones can be accessed whose Bluetooth interface is compatible with the second manner of access (PBAP) but is not compatible with the first a manner of access (ATC),
The previous further developments of the invention assume in particular that the phone book data are accessed preferably by way of the first manner of access. This is particularly advantageous when it is assumed that a large number of the used mobile telephones are compatible with the first, particularly the conventional, manner of access, and/or that the first manner of access is more reliable because it has, for example, been available longer or has been subjected to a large numbers of tests and checks. The assumption that a large number of the used mobile telephones are single-channel-capable with respect to the Bluetooth interface also speaks for the use of one of the previously mentioned further developments.
In contrast, if it is assumed that a large number of the used mobile telephones are multi-channel-capable with respect to the Bluetooth interface and compatible with the second manner of access, and/or that the second manner of access operates more reliably or comprehensively because it is based, for example, on a standard that is independent of the manufacturer, one of the following further developments will be particularly advantageous.
In this case, without first using the first manner of access, it is preferably attempted to establish a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM). A transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device is initiated based on a second manner of access (PBAP) if the attempt at establishing a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) is successful, in which case the second manner of access (PBAP) uses or determines the second Bluetooth service. For example, the second manner of access (PBAP) may also again be the second Bluetooth service, and the attempt to, based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), establish a second Bluetooth service, may be an attempt to, based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), initiate a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device based on the second manner of access (PBAP).
Particularly preferably, it is provided that a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device is initiated based on a first manner of access (ATC) if the attempt to establish a second Bluetooth service based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) is not successful, or if a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device based on a second manner of access (PBAP) is not successful. In this case, the transmission of phone book data based on a first manner of access (ATC) from the mobile telephone to the external device is preferably based on the Bluetooth telephony service (HFP).
As a result, phone book data of mobile telephones can also be accessed which cannot be accessed by way of the second manner of access.
The above-mentioned object is also achieved by an external device, particularly a hands-free telephone device of a motor vehicle, or a control device in a motor vehicle, having a Bluetooth transmission device which is equipped for the alternative access to phone book data from a mobile telephone in one of at least two different predetermined manners of access (PBAP, ATC). A control device is equipped such that a Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM) between the mobile telephone and the external device is established, that, based on the Bluetooth communication channel (RF-COMM), a Bluetooth telephony service is established as a first Bluetooth service, and that a transmission of phone book data from the mobile telephone to the external device is initiated based on one of at least two predetermined manners of access (PBAP, ATC).
The control device may be constructed as a program-controlled processor device or as an application-specific integrated circuit. The control device is equipped correspondingly in a program-related manner, particularly for controlling essential components of the external device and for controlling or implementing the steps of the process within the scope of the invention.
Within the course of time, the two above-mentioned types of preferred further developments (preferred use of the first manner of access and preferred use of the second manner of access) may prove to be more or less advantageous. This depends on the not exactly predictable Bluetooth equipment of future types of mobile telephones. However, since the innovation and model cycles in the mobile telephone field are considerably shorter than, for example, in the field of motor vehicle hands-free telephone devices, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the external device is equipped such that, as a function of a coding bit in a memory device of the external device, which coding bit can be adjusted from the outside, different processes according to the invention may be carried out, thus preferably the first manner of access or preferably the second manner of access is used and tested. As a result, for example, a motor vehicle hands-free telephone device installed in a motor vehicle can be adapted later at low expenditures to the developments on the mobile telephone market at that time.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.